“The time frame from 1776 through the start of the 20th century was period of evolution for the West in determining what we believed and how we would govern ourselves. The time period proceeding this revolutionary period is known as the Enlightenment.” (Hooker) A time where the philosophers of Greece where remembered, brought back to “life” by Islam. Western Europeans rediscovered Aristotelian and Platonic philosophy, theoretical origin of empirical thought. With this old “new” way of thinking came huge changes in how people viewed the world around them. Having become more analytical they began to even view God differently. They micro-analyzed every aspect of their lives and made a “holy” connection. This world, the medieval world, did not allow for individualism or “free will”.

By comparison it is easy to see how we (in the 21st century) take for granted our freedoms.

URL: http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/ENLIGHT/ENLIGHT.HTM (Viewed August 5, 2003)

In the United Stated of America, we have this “Constitution” that says, “Under God” and the “all men are created equal” and to me that shows that science and faith are both incorporated into the documents that serve as the foundation of our country. Science has proven that the sum of our parts is what makes us “equal” not status of birth, religion, race, gender, or even age. And that it was written that God has a hand in our government, (even if there are some who do not believe in a God, with Judeo-Christian laws that are enforced daily.

In the medieval world human perception was untrustworthy, one had to live by the will of what the “church” dictated was the “sort of life that would get you into heaven.” There was no thought on “fairness” or “equality”. To speak out on these topics would show that you were not thinking according to the “d

Some topics in this essay:
Aristotelian Platonic, God” Hooker, Stated America, Southern America, , Ages Europeans, Enlightenment” Hooker, God Judeo-Christian, Washington THE_ENLIGHTENMENT, Viewed August, medieval world, 20th century,